Ricky L Keck

Author Profile

Ricky has been writing fiction for more than twenty-five years with five published novels to his credit. The 'Splinter' trilogy is his first foray into the genre of Epic Fantasy and he has enjoyed the freedom to express his imagination in new and exotic characters, story lines, and locations.

Books

Working Title: The Orion Chronicles

This Book Is In Development

The Orion Chronicles

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Captain Sir Geoffrey Matheson III and the crew of the time-traveling three mast ship Orion are on the run from British authorities for withholding the location of valuable power stones - objects that facilitate time travel.

Having been a sailor for twenty-two years, I've seen my share of rough weather on the ocean.
When I began imagining this story I thought why not begin with a rescue during a typhoon. How would a ship manage in heavy seas?
The technology of the Orion is only glimpsed, or hinted at in Chapter One. This is a special ship with an amazing crew.

Days of Blood and Magic

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Successful in retrieving the promised talisman that will drive Malik’s spirit from Midgard, Torval, Ästa, and their friends return to the Northlands to prepare for the final confrontation with the Outworld dǽmon.
Along the way, old acquaintances are reunited, while others are lost, requiring those remaining to band together and complete the quest demanded by the gods: return the splinter of Yggdrasil to the Rainbow Bridge and heal the tree of life.
The final miles test the travelers as never before. Ästa struggles to understand and control the fearsome magic passed on to her by the white witch and dark faeries.
Torval, free from the doubt that crippled his use of the staff’s magic, discovers a frightening aspect of being the bearer of the splinter of Yggdrasil.
All discover hidden strengths as yet untapped, but whether enough to stand against the coming conflict remains to be determined.
The dǽmon awaits, the final obstacle that must be overcome if they are to be victorious. But Malik will not easily be defeated. The cost will be high for all, but some will pay the ultimate price. Can the fellowship withstand what is required to succeed?
In this final arena, the combatants gather. Will their struggle satisfy the whims of the gods? Will the righteous struggle our travelers have endured be rewarded, or ignored?
In these days of blood and magic, our friends must pull together, stand as one, and fight for all.

While sailing from the Westlands toward Bear Island, Magnus and crew come upon a strange three-masted ship, and its equally strange captain, Sir Geoffrey Matheson.
We shall see more of him and his ship, Orion...later.

The Wolf Queen

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Successful in driving the dǽmon, Malik from his mortal shell, though at great personal cost, Torval and his cousin, Ästa and their friends learn they must travel to the Western Lands and retrieve a magic talisman with which they can destroy Malik once and for all.
Leaving their homeland – and new friends, the travelers brave unpleasant conditions and deadly confrontations as they make their way west; but for one, the Western Lands hold no allure, for a debt is owed and payment – long overdue – is required.
Continuing their quest to return the Splinter of Yggdrasil to the Rainbow Bridge, Torval, tortured by dreams of loss and failure, struggles with controlling magic that is becoming less dependable, while Ästa uncovers secrets about her connection to the Lupanora that leave her wondering: can I do what is expected?
The Western Lands hold the answers for both, and unbelievable power for one, but at what cost?

Irenia, the long-lived witch of the Westlands, has foreseen the coming of the Wolf Queen and is prepared to destroy her.
But the White Witch has not anticipated the depth of Asta's power and must rethink her methods.
Asta is coming.

Splinter of Asgard

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Splinter of Asgard is the story of Torval, a Norse youth of sixteen who dreams of the high-seas adventurous Viking life of his father, brother, and uncle – but fate has limited him to being an apprentice shipwright. That all changes when Torval awakens an age-old magic and must accept the responsibility for returning a lost relic to Asgard – home of the gods, from where it came.
Together with his younger cousin, Ästa, Torval must not only brave the hazards encountered during their travels, but they must also stay one step ahead of Malik, a dǽmon of Outworld, who has perceived the magic and would have it for his own.
As Torval and Ästa try to evade their pursuers they meet up with others who join their company and lend their unique strengths to the growing band of travelers. Torval must learn to control the wakened magic with which he has been entrusted, while his cousin attempts to understand a dormant power of her own that is beginning to stir – one that is beyond her imagination.
Nearly disabled by feelings of doubt and inadequacy, Torval must overcome these personal weaknesses and lead his friends across a forbidding landscape that tests them at every turn as they seek to fulfill their quest: return the Splinter of Asgard to the Rainbow Bridge.
Theirs is a tale of how love, hope, and trust struggle against hate, despair, and betrayal to heal an age old wound and protect the world in which they live.

During his magic apprenticeship, Torval faces several challenges manifested by Grafeldr - his mentor.
One such is Ingemar, Torval's father, the image of whom causes Torval's use of the magic to falter.
Grafeldr counsels Torval about the use of magic and controlling his fear and self-doubt.
These are difficult lessons for the boy.

I have long been a fan of Japanese history, especially the feudal period with its lords and samurai protectors. In this case, I wondered what would happen if a young girl had been allowed to train and carry the katana - the curved sword of the samurai. I decided to create Haruka, daughter of a high-class samurai who is slain while she on his protection detail. Her perceived loss of face at the death of her father fills her with a need for vengeance. She will satisfy that need when she meets up with our other travelers soon.

Critical Response

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

After a storm on the North Sea in 1991, the peace of a routine spring morning is shattered when a secret German World War II chemical weapon washes up on the shore of a small Scottish fishing village, killing scores of inhabitants in a gruesome, painful manner.
Retired U.S. Navy Bomb Disposal technician Mack Turner and his newly organized GREEN Team are dispatched to discover the cause of this mass murder and remove the threat before it can create additional destruction. While in Scotland, the team discovers the depth of the German plot and the imminent threat to New York City. Before they can mitigate the situation in Scotland and return to the United States to stop another disaster, a dangerous man from Mack’s past hijacks the chemical weapon from its resting place in the United States to use in his own twisted plot of revenge.
In a heart-pounding race against time, the GREEN Team must utilize all their resources to outthink the chemical terrorist and deal with his dangerous physical and psychological impediments. Can they stop the madman in time, or do the citizens of New York City face certain death?

This scene is anecdotal in that while deployed in the Persian Gulf during Desert Shield/Storm, my detachment participated in many operations just like the one described here. In fact, I actually experienced the confrontation with the large grouper and the underwater detonation. The Navy's EOD teams are all highly trained professionals who routinely conduct dangerous missions on land or underwater. That was another life ago for me, but I still remember the thrill.

Bound by Honor

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

When members of the GREEN Team are kidnapped by a Colombian drug cartel during a routine chemical cleanup in Brazil, Mack Turner must travel to the Amazonian city of Manaus to try and salvage the team and rescue the hostages. Turner must also deal with the drug lord who wishes to eliminate the American soldiers who have been harassing his cocaine operations.
If he is to succeed, Mack will have to trust E. J. Lonetree, the team leader whose skills are special but whose bruised ego gnaws at his tenets of honor and duty and imperils the chances of rescuing the teammates lost under his watch.
Lonetree struggles to overcome self-doubt and to resist the urge for swift vengeance that could trigger disaster, while Mack faces a daunting two-fold mission: recover his people and stop a madman from wiping out the soldiers in horrific fashion.
The action is vivid, the suspense is relentless, and the details read true in this the second GREEN Team novel from R. L. Keck, a former navy bomb disposal technician. Bound by Honor is the story of a mission in which those who sign on must commit to flawless execution and accept the stark truth that some may pay the ultimate price.

E.J. has occasional flashes of insight or visions that he inherited from his grandmother. This 'second sight' as he thinks of it, helps him to stay one step ahead of his enemies or, in this case, know when his friends are in danger.
Since joining the GREEN Team he has quietly observed Nikki from a distance, his feelings for her kept locked away. Now, however, with her safety in jeopardy, his mind alerts him with a vivid message. He will go to her.

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